When I tell people I went to Portland, Oregon for spring break, they all make that same confused-look face that says “Why didn’t you go to the beach or something?” I get it. Living in Minnesota, spring break is the time to escape to somewhere warm and beachy and relaxing but I don’t regret my choice at all because Oregon has a TON to offer.
I visited “The Beaver State” with my sister Maurria and my boyfriend and we had a blast. While the temperature was only in the high 30s to mid 40s the whole time we were there, it was better than the teens weather we had left in Minnesota. This was my first time going anywhere in the PNW and the thing that really made Oregon stand out for me was how green it is, talk about amazing. We went on a lot of adventures and ate a lot of delicious food.
One of the things we did was visit Multnomah Falls which is a gorgeous 611-foot- tall waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge. There is a bridge that gets you close to the action and there are hiking trails around the area so you can explore. When we were there the falls were frozen in some parts so it made for a breathtaking scene.
Another place we visited was McMenamins Edgefield which was built in 1911 as a county farm. In 1917 a “fallen women’s” detention center was built on the edge of the property called Cedars. After a couple years the center was abandoned and later used as the Bealey Military Academy for boys which eventually fell into debt and was yet again abandoned. It’s third life was with the Works Progress Administration who dismantled the building and used pieces of it to assemble a new building near the farm to house doctors, nurses, farmers and more. When the farm stopped operation the house stood empty until it was used for a youth program providing help for people struggling with homelessness and drug abuse. In the 2000’s McMenamins bought it and turned it into Ruby’s Spa. McMenamins Edgefield today consists of the spa, a restaurant, a golf course, an amphitheater which houses concerts, a movie theater, a hotel, bar and more. We got some appetizers at the restaurant and went to the bar beneath the hotel and played shuffleboard for a few hours. It is a very intriguing place and with the history and attractions, it is a sure tourist destination.
A well-known place we decided to check out was Powell’s Books. This is the largest individual bookseller in the WORLD. It takes up a whole city block and is heaven for booklovers like me. I was almost overwhelmed with the amount of books but felt right at home. We stopped for a coffee in the shop in the store before browsing through all the sections from fantasy to music biographies to thriller. It was insane and I could’ve spent two days looking through all the rows. I only ended up getting one book (broke college kid probs…) but I could’ve left with 100. If you love books and are ever in Portland, be sure to check it out!
We did a little bit of driving including to Cannon Beach [https://www.cannonbeach.org/] where some parts of “The Goonies” was filmed (because who doesn’t love “The Goonies”?) and went on a hike at Cape Lookout State Park. This trip was my first time ever seeing the ocean and I was blown away; it only took me 20 years.
We saw so many other things while we were there including the zoo, taking a trip around Mount Hood, eating at a bunch of restaurants, food trucks and the famous Voodoo Donut and leisuring out in our cute-as-hell airbnb. So when people ask me how my spring break was, I say INCREDIBLE because Oregon is beautiful and extremely underrated.